I saw reality today.
dressed in torn jeans
or puffy jackets
in strollers with parents
people using walkers or canes
all ages and abilities
families and friends
the roll of cleaning carts
books and iPhones
board games and visiting
an all around aroma and sizzle
of cooking foods of any cuisine, the wipe of micro rags cleaning tables, woven through it all
the hum of humanity in the Food Court.
“One love, one heart, one destiny.”
~ Robert Marley
I’ve spent the day watching cooking shows.
Thinking...Pork ribs...a dry rub...
Spices and brown sugar
from cupboard & spice rack
Slow cooked for four hours
Brushed with my bbq sauce
Under the broiler to finish
One small meal with more for the freezer.
Humbled, grateful and comfortable.
“If more of us valued food and cheer and song
above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world.”
~ J.R.R.Tolkien
A trial run at a Jamie Oliver recipe ~ and it felt like I’d run a mile - ending with crossing the finish line #1! There was lots of chopping - fennel, leeks, garlic. Having never worked with either fresh fennel or leeks, I had to run back and forth from kitchen to you-tube, from kitchen to table to find all the details that a recipe doesn’t necessarily provide. Like how to clean leeks, and how to cut up fennel (Martha Stewart was my teacher on that last one), when to put in the various cheeses and how much - grated or pinched off in pieces - better known as flavour bombs. My son, Jason backed me up when I needed the pasta drained or when I needed a missing ingredient. The final taste testing was our supper - it was superbly delicious. The next test will be to see how it tastes in the morning - cold from the refrigerator; and secondly, how will it freeze with all the dairy in it.
From: Jamie Cooks Italy
Lasagna ~ Leeks and Fennel
Cheeses: Parmeson,
Teleggio, (substituted with Havarti)
Gorgonzola, (substituted with Blue Cheese)
Ball of Mozzerella
“Good food is a global thing and I find that there is always
something new and amazing to learn ~ I love it!
~ Jamie Oliver
What was special about today? It was the same as yesterday, and the day before. Except that when I tried to wake her up this morning, she only spoke sharply to me. Rather rude. Picking up the black thing that scares me when it makes noise, she looked at it, groaned and ducked back under the covers. Really, she didn’t even have to be fully awake ~ just get up and take care of me. An early breakfast would have been preferable. All I got was curtains drawn at the window. Oh well, although it took some time, she finally fed me ~ but of course not until she had her own food ready!
“When Rome burned, the emperor’s cats still expected to be fed on time,”
~ Seanan McGuire
It was August 05th - just last Saturday - that my sister, Betty and I took a wander to the Fort Qu’Appelle Midsummer Art Festival. I had never been there before so had no idea of its largesse! I did recognize the entrance to the Fort with its banners, sunflowers and signs, but the cars, pickups, camper trailers and people wowed me. Outside the Fort, a Poutine food cart, and several other food tents, tables and chairs for the hungry were busy with business. The Festival had opened in the morning, so there had already been streams of people in the gates. A modest entry fee of $5.00 let us unto a sea of crafters and artisans displaying and selling their wares. A biergarten and music was busy in one corner. We made a beeline to a building towards the back of the large area to find our sister Kate. Perfectly positioned in a far corner, she could see and welcome any and all customers, saying the morning had been particularly busy. It was almost like walking through a fair ground it was so full of life and activity.
Hungry, and after a short visit, we headed back to the food court area for hamburgers, pie and ice cream. On our way, we spotted pottery artisans. I was so tempted but restrained myself, convinced that I could return after lunch. And so we did, but made a big circuit around all the tents, studiously avoiding anything resembling pottery. I did make one small purchase of a cork bracelet. Returning to Kate’s table, I restocked my card box at home with the purchase of several of her watercolour cards, and chose a photograph of thistles in bloom for my home.
Another surprise ~ My sisters talked with a high school friend and I met some friends of mine from Regina. It was a lovely afternoon. The weather perfect and the wonderful atmosphere of the busy Midsummer Art Festival could not have been any better (unless I had purchased some pottery)!
"I love the outdoor festival feeling."
~ Joshua Bell
 |
| Supper for my sister Betty and I tonight |
Each of us share a love of food, especially when we have guests. Or maybe, when we go out to a restaurant and let someone else cook for us. I love them both. It is a rare treat for me to have guests in my home for a meal. This summer has rewarded me handsomely. Returning to my home province has created many opportunities to practice my cooking skills and welcome family more frequently.
“Other things may change us, but we start and end with family.”
~ Anthony Brandt
St. Mary’s Anglican Church at 3337 15th Ave, was a 20 minute walk under the shade of elms. The sun was warm and a breeze played with my hair. Along the way, I met another woman who was on her way. We enjoyed our brisk walk together sharing stories of our love of dogs.
Saskatoons have played a part in my life since I was a child. As a family, we picked these favourite berries in a community pasture. Empty ice cream buckets soon were filled with the delicious purple fruit and, once in the kitchen, transformed into pies and containers of frozen saskatoons. I don’t recall if mom made jams, or syrups but I have since enjoyed both. When I saw the poster advertising this Festival, I was intent on attending. It’s been a really great busy summer, so I really wasn’t certain until this morning of my timing. I was told there were line ups before the Festival opened at 1:30 pm. Saskatoon pies advertised were sold out quickly. Many were ordered for pick up. I was unable to get there until after three, so no saskatoon pie for me. I was limited to a spread, chocolate covered berries and a saskatoon powder for use in smoothies, yogurts or baking. The last is new to me!
My disappointment about no pie was assuaged by the vocals of the Empire Associates, a married couple who have been singing and performing together for many years. Husband on guitar, they sang in harmony, their voices strong and beautiful. I was told that many of their songs were their original music. They interspersed their performance with familiar Johnny Cash songs. All in all it was a lovely afternoon.
When I arrived I had seen, on the church lawn, a young girl contributing to a large painting set between supports. On my way home, I stopped to look at the painting. The artist introduced herself and explained that she had drawn the original sketch for children to fill in throughout the day. She indicated certain places where she had painted and pointed out the children’s art. Such a wonderful thing for her to provide for the children!
“The Cree name for this plant is ‘mis-ask-quah-toomia’,
which early white settlers shortened to ‘saskatoon’. Saskatoon berries were
the most important plant food used by the Blackfoot peoples of the prairies.”
~ plantwatch.naturealberta.ca ~ Human Uses
Entertaining them was a stressful situation. Well, not them, but her. You know ~ the one that feeds me. I know what happened. I did keep quiet about it ~ very quiet ~ she had changed my litter without telling me. No warning! Cats do not like that - especially this cat. So I just laid about until I was quite unwell. Back and forth to some sort of strange places. Poked and prodded. Got lots of petting and respect of course. Entertaining these humans was not stressful at all.
All is well again. I have a new food that’s quite delicious. And I’m more handsome than ever! My coat has become ever so gorgeous.
I will try to avoid that nasty situation again ~ it was far too stressful.
“Cats are a mysterious kind of folk.”
~ Sir Walter Scott
Families, food and music on
13th Ave closed to traffic
for at least eight blocks and
filled with tents for ~
artworks, clothes and jewelry
jams, jellies and baking
Food trucks with a variety of cuisines
Local musicians played at cross walks
The day started out cloudy and cool.
clouds lifted and warm sun
accompanied Festival goers as
they wandered and browsed,
stopped and purchased,
gathered in small groups
to greet each other,
or line up at food trucks
on this final Festival Day
~~~~~
Later this evening, the street was washed clean
by a prairie thunderstorm complete with hail!
Hope all the tents, people and electronics
had wrapped things up before they were soaked!
“[An arts festival) helps a city to express itself. …
It lets it come into its own.”
~ David Binder
Memory, one April to the next, slips back to warmer springs is not reliable when it comes to nostalgia, expectation and boredom!
‘April showers bring May flowers’ ~
a mere fantasy for another time. Two days on, snowfall, whipped and flung by wild winds, interfered with plans.
Plans for walking and errand-ing on hold, puttering at home wrapped me in warmth and a new recipe for Cranberry/Orange Jam.
“Snow in April is abominable,” said Anne.
“Like a slap in the face when you expected a kiss.”
~ L.M.Montgomery, Anne of Ingleside
Not too sweet
a bit of a crunch,
winter strawberries
~ seldom sweet and juicy ~
are still delightful.
“It has been many years since I have eaten freely at my choice, fair one,
and a plate of strawberries is all that I desire.”
~ Cassandra Clare, Lady Midnight
Winter white rabbits ignored me, intent as they were on their meagre fare in the park. They even ignored a third rabbit who could have been sending a silent request to join them. No predators about, only the well fed two legged variety, but all were busy with things more important than a few bunnies at an early dinner.
“Dinner is not what you do in the evening
before something else. Dinner is the evening.”
~ Art Buchwald, American humourist, 1952 - 2007
“She’s doing it again.
Pacing. Talking to herself.
Being quite cranky with me.
Picking up those things she taps on ~ pushing them away rather roughly.
Pacing. Talking to herself.
I decided to just lie down and wait for it to pass ~ she hasn't given me supper yet.”
“Patience is not the ability to wait,
but the ability to keep a good attitude while waiting.”
~ Joyce Meyer
Every big idea is made better with food. The idea this weekend is, for many, a family gathering on this Thanksgiving. My challenge? Bring cabbage rolls, a dish I have made maybe once, on my own, in the last forty years. I approached this….this intimating challenge cautiously. But dammit! I would make them and do a good job! From cookbooks and YouTube videos, I researched what was needed. Purchased the groceries needed. Cleared my kitchen. Gathered my tools and ingredients. And then, something interesting happened. I slipped into ‘the zone’ as I cooked brown rice, chopped onions and garlic, parsley and celery, measured out dill weed and smoked paprika and made tomato sauce. Over a dozen cabbage rolls later, tucked in and covered with bacon, they went into the oven for a two hour bake. I did reserve one small piece of filling and cooked a tiny meatloaf to taste the finished product. The flavours are quite good - but I’ll wait till tomorrow to get more objective opinions.
“….no one is born a great cook, one learns by doing.”
~ Julia Child, My Life in France
And then there’s puttering ~
Pick up this….
Move that over…..
Forget to eat but…..
Snack all day…..
Start a waiting sewing project….
Forget the time….
Fold clothes still in the dryer….
Plant flowers wilting while waiting.…
Pull weeds cluttering the drive….
Back in the house….
Work on that painting….
Pick up this ….
Move that over….
Start supper…….!
Where did the time go!?
“Time flies over us, but leaves its shadow behind.”
~ Nathaniel Hawthorne, The Marble Faun
Nerds? Are they ever without a camera?! I wasn't even posing; she just about caught me! But I scampered ~ that is the word those two legged things say ~ down from a really good branch. I had spied a rather juicy morsel and I just had to get to it before any of my buddies did. I was really more interested in food than if I was presented on Facebook.
“I’ve changed my mind. I don’t want to be
a squirrel any more. I’d rather be a bird!”
~ Erin Hunter, Moonrise
